BAKED CHAR SIU BAO OR MANAPUA

BAKED CHAR SIU BAO OR MANAPUA image

This chinese bun that is filled with char siu or seasoned red pork, evokes and fills my mind with so much sweet memories of my grammom and grampa, my mom and dad, my childhood and growing up, having my own children and now my grandchildren. It has withstood the test of time, now generations later, it is still a strong staple in...

Provided by Jo Anne Sugimoto

Number Of Ingredients 27

Ingredients

THE FILLING:
4 c char siu, finely chopped (seasoned
red pork)
2 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp mirin (japanese sweet cooking wine)
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 c light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp chinese five spice powder
1/2 small onion, finely minced
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 c chicken broth
2 drops, red food coloring (optional)
THE BAO (BUN)
1 pkg rapid rise yeast
1/4 c lukewarm water
1 1/2 c milk, room temperature
1/2 c sugar
4 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 Tbsp butter, unsalted, melted, cooled
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
4 1/2 c all-purpose flour
2 c cake flour
1 egg, beaten, for brushing tops of bao (buns)

Steps:

1. PROCEDURE FOR THE FILLING:
2. Heat 1/2 Tbsp. oil in a small saucepan, saute onions until softened and almost transparent. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Heat remaining Tbsp. of oil in a large skillet, stir fry finely chopped char siu (seasoned pork) till tender.
4. Combine the remaining filling ingredients in a bowl and stir till well blended, then add the filling mixture and the sauteed onions to the stir fried char siu. Heat and stir until it is bubbling.
5. Combine the chicken broth and the cornstarch in a small bowl and mix till well blended, add to the hot meat mixture, stirring constantly until it thickens.
6. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
7. NOTE: FILL THE BAO (BUN) WHEN THE FILLING IS AT ROOM TEMPERATURE, NOT HOT, NOT REFRIGERATOR COLD.
8. PROCEDURE FOR THE BAO (BUN):
9. Mix together in a bowl, the yeast packet, lukewarm water and a pinch of salt. Set aside until it's foamy.
10. In a large bowl, combine sugar and room temperature milk, whisk until sugar dissolves. Add the 2 cups of the cake flour and mix well. In 3 increments, slowly add the 4 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour and combine well, but do not over mix.
11. Place the dough in a large bowl, and in a warm place, allow for the dough to rise till it doubles in size (approximately 2 1/2 hours, if enclosed in a microwave oven with a jar of boiling water on the side of the bowl).
12. Remove the dough from the microwave oven and discard the water.
13. Punch down the dough and cut the dough into 24 equal pieces. Form into dough balls and allow the dough balls to rest for about 15 minutes.
14. Roll out each ball into 4-inch disks, place a heaping Tbsp. of room temperature filling onto the center of the disk, gather the edges together and pinch it close with a twist.
15. With a cookie sheet, prepped with parchment paper, set the bao (bun), twisted side down and spaced evenly apart.
16. Put the cookie sheet of bao in a warm, moist area so that it can rise for about 30 minutes.
17. Brush the tops of the bao with the beaten egg and bake for 22 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
18. Remove the bao from oven onto a cooling rack. Serve hot or warm.
19. To retain freshness, bao may be frozen. To reheat a frozen bao, let stand for about 5 minutes, then wrap with a damp paper towel and microwave in the oven for about 1 minute, more if needed.